Improvement in wooden houses



1.- R. PERRY.

Wnoden Hous'es.

Patented Aug. i8, 1874.

N0.l54,188.7l

INVENTOB.

VVXTNESSES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. PERRY, OF WILKESBABRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOODEN HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,188, dated August 18, 1874; application led April 13, 1874.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, J os. R. PERRY, of Wilkesbarre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Building Wooden Houses, of which the following is a correct description:

My inventionrelates to improvements in the construction of Wooden houses; and has for its object to construct a strong and substantial solid wooden wall, wherein the use of studding, posts, and other upright supports is dispensed with, which will be seltsustaining and have a smooth inner surface, so that the use of lathing and plastering may be dispensed with, and which will possess all the requisites of economy, ease in construction, and protection against the weather. It consists in a series of horizontal timbers, which are dressed and jointed together, having their inner faces perpendicular and flush with each other, forming a smooth ucontinuous inner surface from the iloor to the ceiling; in having at -the desired height of "tlie room a projecting timber on which to rest the joists in securing the timbers together by-means of strips inserted in grooves cut in the contiguous faces of said timbers; and in the lalternately overlapping, dovetailing, or mitering the ends to form the corners of the house, as herein more fully set forth. l

Figure 1 is an end-view section, cut at any part of the building, and showing the manner of construction. Figs. 2 and 3 show an end of timbers of which the walls are built up. Fig. 4 is a top view of sides, ends, and a tier of joists.

In the construction of the walls of the house made according to my invention the bottom timber a is made larger than the other timbers, in order to furnish a substantial base on which to rest the wall, sleepers, and up right boards used to protect the corners. The longitudinal timbers which compose the wall are made rectangular, except that the outer face is dressed to, any desired form best suited to turn olf rain and protect the wall. They are square or oblong in cross-section. The upper and under faces are dressed, so that when two timbers are laid together a close joint is formed. They are of uniform size, so that when the wall is complete there is presented to the room within a smooth continous surface from the floor or base timber a to the ceiling. The grooves Z l are cut on the upper and under sides and the full length of each timber. They are so arranged that where two timbers are laid together in the wall, that in the upper timber will lie directly over that in the under timber, forming a double continuous groove the entire length of the wall. m is a strip placed within the grooves Z l. lt keys the timbers together, and also serves to render the wall more secure against the weather. The timber g, placed atthe height desired for the ceiling, is made, so as to project beyond the inner line of the wall, and furnishes a rest or support for the joists.

In the construction of houses with two stories the ends of the joists are let into the walltimbers, as shown by .dotted lines h i, which adds to the strength of the structure.

Instead of forming two grooves in the timbers, a tongue may be made on the upper side of one, as shown in Fig. 3; but this method involves too great loss of lumber, while I do not consider it so good, as it is not easily repaired if broken off in the event of tearing down the house for removal. The corners of the house are secured together by dovetailing or other suitable means, and are protected from the weather by the upright boards t.

It will be seen that in a house constructed according to my invention the use of all framing, lathing, and plastering or inside lining is dispensed with, and that a firm, substantial, self-sustaining wall is produced, and that such a structure is admirably adapted for all purposes where cheap houses are required.

Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In the construction of wooden houses, aselfsustaining wall composed of the horizontal timbers k, provided with the grooves l l', and keyed together by the strips m, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the urpose specified. p JOS. R. PERRY.

Witnesses:

E. G. BUTLER, S. D. LEWIS. 

